WASHINGTON / AP David Friedman, the firebrand attorney President Donald Trump picked to be his ambassador to Israel, faces a rocky confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after Trump signaled a dramatic shift in strategy for pursuing peace in the Middle East. Friedman’s hearing, scheduled for Thursday, already promised to be contentious. The son of an Orthodox …

  KUALA LUMPUR / AP Malaysian authorities on Thursday announced the second and third arrests in the death of the North Korean leader’s half brother, whose apparent assassination this week unleashed tales of spectacular intrigue: a pair of women assailants, a broad-daylight killing and a dictator-sibling out for blood. But investigators were still piecing together details of the case, which …

  MOGADISHU / AP The Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility on Thursday for a mortar attack outside the presidential palace during a handover ceremony for the country’s new leader, a sign of the enormous security challenges he faces in trying to develop this long-chaotic country. The blasts were heard during the ceremony for President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo. The SITE …